The American Indian Library Association (AILA) is calling on all tribal librarians, archivists, community members, and the public to share stories to help us fight for continued federal funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

On March 16, 2017, President Donald Trump released his Budget Blueprint for 2018, also known as the “America First” budget. This proposed budget eliminates funding for IMLS, a federal agency that provides critical support for Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian libraries across the country.

Funding for Native American libraries and information services has been a long struggle for those committed to the development of libraries in Indian Country.

Our communities stand to lose millions in federal support for childhood literacy, language revitalization, digital infrastructure, college and vocational prep, job-seeking support, and so much more. In some cases, IMLS provides the only consistent source of library funding.

In a very real way, the defunding of IMLS could mean the loss of tribal libraries.

Please help AILA gather stories from tribal librarians, library workers, patrons, and community members. We are seeking short stories from your communities to demonstrate the role tribal libraries play in supporting culture, community, and education.

The best stories talk about how IMLS and tribal libraries have made an impact on people in your community. Does your library provide summer reading programs that inspires kids? Does your library provide programs that connect community members with their culture or language? Is your library a space for building relationships, bringing together elders and youth? Does having access to computers and the internet at the library make a difference for you and your community? How so? Tell us your tribal library story––and make it personal!

We will share these stories to a wider audience in an effort to reach out to representatives, to build a movement to protect tribal libraries, and to ensure that future generations benefit from IMLS funding. We are looking to highlight stories that not only show the economic benefits that libraries provide to their communities, but also share how children, elders, and the wider community benefit from them.

We are looking to publish over web forums and social media, so we are asking that these stories be between 200-400 words.

The American Indian Library Association (AILA) is strongly opposed to President Trump’s proposed federal budget that eliminates funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency that provides critical support for Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian libraries, archives, and museums across the country.

The IMLS Native American Library Services grants help keep tribal libraries running by funding book collections updates, creating and enhancing library programming, providing technology support, and supporting staff salaries. Moreover, federal funds have been used to address critical needs for Native American communities, including language revitalization, cultural heritage programming, and the maintenance of tribal archival collections.

Without federal funding, many tribal libraries and archives may face closure or severe cuts in services.

The elimination of IMLS funding would be significant in Indian Country. IMLS-funded projects that have had positive impacts on Native American library and information services, as well as graduate school scholarships and continuing education include:

Native American Library Services Basic Grants. These are one year grants that are designed to support the operations of tribal and Native village libraries. Basic Grants are available to all federally recognized Native American tribes and Native Alaskan villages. IMLS awarded 226 Basic Grants in 2016.

Native American Library Services Enhancement Grants. These are competitive grants designed to expand or implement new library services. In 2016, IMLS awarded 14 Enhancement Grants, including projects focused on STEM education, GED preparation, as well as digitizing audio collections, enhancing early literacy projects, creating culturally-based materials for children and adults, archiving elders interviews, and addressing traditional ecological knowledge.

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program for Continued Education. IMLS grants have been a key source of funding for professional development for practicing librarians and archivists in Native American communities. Given the broad array of responsibilities of many tribal library workers––from children’s programming to fundraising to archival services––continuing education is critical. Because of their geographic isolation and relatively low budgets, tribal librarians often cannot meet regularly with their peers or attend professional conferences. These conferences include the International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums hosted by the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM); the Tribal College Librarians Institute hosted by Montana State University Library; and Convening Great Lakes Culture Keepers, coordinated by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Information.

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program for Graduate School Scholarships. Providing scholarships to increase the number of credentialed Native American librarians is a crucial step in addressing the lack of degreed librarians in Indian Country. IMLS-funded scholarships that have impacted Native American librarians have included Knowledge River (University of Arizona), Honoring Generations (University Texas at Austin), the Circle of Learning (San Jose State University), and the Spectrum Scholarship (American Library Association).

Joint Conference of Librarians of Color. A partnership of five ethnic caucuses of the American Library Association (American Indian Library Association, Asian Pacific American Librarians Association, Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Chinese American Librarians Association, and REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking), JCLC advocates for and promotes diversity and supports literacy and the preservation of history and cultural heritage of communities of color.

Funding for Native American libraries and information services has been a long struggle for those committed to the development of libraries in Indian Country since the 1970s. Strong and consistent advocacy from American Indian leaders helped to secure federal funding for tribes to meet their library and information needs. Vine Deloria, Jr. and other American Indian leaders have reminded us that tribal library funding is a federal obligation under Indian treaties where tribes sacrificed land and resources in exchange for educational services.

An affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA), the American Indian Library Association is a membership action group that addresses the library-related needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives. AILA is committed to standing up for federal funding that supports information access and knowledge stewardship in Indian Country, and beyond.

For more information, please contact the American Indian Library Association’s Save Tribal Library Funding Campaign at:

ALA Midwinter

ALA Midwinter Meeting 2017 will be held January 20-24, 2017, in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Georgia World Congress Center. Join us for these AILA events!

Friday, January 20, 2017

JCLC Peachtree Trolley Tour, 1:00-2:30pm p.m.
Connect with your fellow JCLC supporters on a 90-minute Peachtree Trolley Tour of Atlanta and enjoy Atlanta’s sights, which include the King Center, Centennial Olympic Park, and the Georgia Aquarium. The tour will be held on Friday, January 20, from 1pm to 2:30pm. The tour cost is $35 for affiliate members and $40 for non-affiliate members. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the JCLC conference website. The deadline to register for the tour is Thursday, January 12.

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Supporting Diversity and Inclusion in the Current Social Climate, 4:30-5:30 p.m. (Georgia World Congress Center, B405), co-sponsored by AILA
Since the November 2016 election, the Southern Poverty Law Center cataloged hundreds of incidents of harassment, including intimidation and hate speech aimed at people of color, Muslims, LGBTQ+ persons, immigrants, and women. Librarians hold inclusion and equity as core professional values, but may need help building understanding as to the difference between social justice and politics before engaging in social justice work. Led by an academic researcher and a public school attorney, this session introduces new resources that library staff can use to support diversity and inclusion, and provides guidance on legal issues that may arise when working toward social justice.

JCLC Social & Site Location Announcement, 5:00-7:00 p.m. @ Omni Hotel, International Ballroom A-C
Join us from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Omni Hotel in International Ballroom A-C, where we will announce the location for JCLC 2018 – The 3rd National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color. Socialize with colleagues, enjoy appetizers and a cash bar and support our fundraiser for the conference! Doors open at 5 p.m. and the conference site location will be announced at 6 p.m.

The American Indian Youth Literature Awards are presented every two years. The awards were established as a way to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians. Books selected to receive the award will present American Indians in the fullness of their humanity in the present and past contexts.

The American Indian Library Association (AILA), an affiliate of the American Library Association, has selected “Little You” (2013) Orca Book Publishers, written by Richard Van Camp, illustrated by Julie Flett as the 2016 Best Picture Book; “In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse” (2015) Amulet Books, written by Joseph Marshall III as the 2016 Best Middle School Book, and “House of Purple Cedar” (2014) Cinco Puntos Press, written by Tim Tingle as the 2016 Best Young Adult Book. The recipients of the fifth American Indian Youth Literature Awards will be formally recognized at the American Libraries Association Annual Conference in Orlando Florida this summer.

Honor Books were selected each category. The Honor Picture Book selected by the jury is “Sitting Bull Sioux Warrior and Defender of his People” by S.D. Nelson (2015) Abrams Books for Young Readers. The Honor Middle Grade Book is “Dreaming in Indian Contemporary Native Voices” edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale (2014) Annick Press. The Honor Young Adult Book is “Her Land, Her Love” by Evangeline Parsons Yazzie (2016) Salina Bookshelf Inc.

Reviewed by Faye Hadley
Online Adjunct Professor, Research Methods in Indian Law, University of Tulsa College of Law

While a bureaucratic history is hardly the stuff of the “page-turner” genre, Thomas A. Britten presents an important piece of history with clear, concise prose and a well-researched presentation of the facts as he understands them.

The facts of this relatively obscure Federal Council (established by Lyndon B. Johnson’s Executive Order 11399, Establishing the National Council on Indian Opportunity, March 6, 1968) are that it lived a short life and could easily be missed as one travels through the pantheon of Federal Indian Policy. However, this is where Professor Britten’s book demonstrates its usefulness. It reminds us or educates us for the first time of the often overlooked role that the NCIO played in several pivotal “wins” in Indian Country: in the return of the Sacred Blue Lake to Taos Pueblo (along with relatively positive outcomes for the Yakamas, Lummis, and Mescalero Apaches); in the negotiations of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act; and in the US Government loans totaling 14 million dollars that were primarily used for housing on reservations.

The author speculates about what might have been had the NCIO not suffered an abrupt dissolution in June 1974. The true value of this book is that it captures a time that was changing from assimilationist policies through termination policies to the newly-welcomed era of self-determination. That the NCIO played a significant role in these changes has now been documented and for that we should all thank Professor Britten. Thank you.

The American Indian Library Association (AILA) and the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), supported by Toyota Financial Services, are pleased to award a $600 grant to each of the following ten libraries and community organizations to host Talk Story: Sharing stories, sharing culture programming. The winning libraries and community organizations are:

Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library, Tennessee – The Hui Hawai`i O Tenesi Hawaiian Civic Club is partnering with the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library to hold a Talk Story program in May during Asian-Pacific Heritage Month. Club volunteers will present a story time, introduce lei making and lauhala weaving, share Hawaiian treats, demonstrate and teach hula and the Hawaiian version of “Simon Says,” “Kumu Hula Says.” The grant will also add a substantial amount of Hawaiian books to the library’s collection.

Kenton County Public Library, Kentucky – KCPL has held a Filipino Independence Day celebration for the last six years. Funding from Talk Story will allow them to continue this tradition of sharing Filipino culture through bilingual stories, folk dance performances, folk songs, games and crafts. KCPL is partnering with the Filipino-American Association of Northern Kentucky, the Filipino American Association of Southern Ohio (FASO) and United Filipino-Americans Mabuhay Society. Each family in attendance will be given a bilingual book in English and Tagalog.

Native Village of Eyak, Alaska – This unique program will facilitate the inclusion of elders in the community to share parenting and breastfeeding experiences with the local breastfeeding support group that meets at the library. The elders will also demonstrate traditional food preparation and artwork. Three visits are planned for the group and the elders to interact. Grant money will also be used to purchase books for the tribal library.

Oceanside Public Library, California – OPL will hold four programs over the course of seven months, with the first story time program in May for Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. Families will attend a Japanese-English storytime and exchange letters and photos with children in Fuji-city, Japan — Oceanside’s sister city. Over the summer OPL will provide two performances with local Okinawan dancers and an elder who will share stories of his youth in Okinawa. Attendees will have the opportunity to try Okinawan foods. An additional story time will be held in November. OPL is partnering with the Okinawa Association of America (OAA) to select materials for circulation and story time.

Pacific Islands University, Guam – PIU will hold a Talk Story event in September 2015 with two local elementary schools, both with substantial APA student populations. The program will consist of readings of books about Micronesians, an art project and refreshments. Two additional Talk Story reading events are scheduled to be held at the elementary schools with each school library receiving donations of one-to-two culturally relevant children’s books. The University will also increase its collections of books on APA populations, specifically Micronesians, for PIU education students and library employees.

Palms-Rancho Park Library, California – Palms-Rancho Park Library, a branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, will be holding a Children’s Chinese Day program in June 2015, hosted by a WorldSpeak teacher. Children will make moon cakes, a Chinese dragon mask and have a parade. Funds will be primarily used to support growth of the Mandarin collection, to purchase bilingual books and audio-visual materials to support native Chinese speakers and Chinese language learners.

Red Lake Nation College, Minnesota – To coincide with the opening of a new academic/community library building, Red Lake Nation College will host two storytelling sessions that will revolve around elders sharing stories with the children based on the oral tradition. The children will then have the opportunity to read stories to the elders using books purchased with Talk Story funds. Recordings will be made to create and preserve the oral history of traditional Ojibwe stories. A group activity will also take place that will engage the children in creating a permanent display for the library in order to establish the library as a community gathering place.

San Juan College, New Mexico – San Juan College operates a childcare facility that provides hands-on learning for both children and SJC students. During the month of November, San Juan College will host a series of workshops beginning with a storytime of Eric Carle’s Brown Bear Brown Bear What do you See? which will be translated into Navajo. In the second workshop, students will work on creating their own story in Navajo and English using regional animals and characters which they will self publish. Finally, the students will perform the story live for the college.

Sonoma County Library, California – Sonoma County Library plans to further develop its partnership with the Graton Rancheria by celebrating and expanding its offerings for the tribal community. There will be a half-day cultural event including storytelling, dancing, crafts and food. Sonoma County Library also plans to expand the circulating materials of the library with the purchase of materials focused on local tribes. There will be a month-long display in support of the event.

USD 497 Native American Student Services for Lawrence Public Schools, Kansas – Three programs are planned for October 2015 where middle and high school students will read stories to the elementary and preschool children. The books used for the program, and purchased with Talk Story funds, will be left with the elementary school to keep in their classrooms and libraries. The middle and high school students will be active participants in the marketing of the Talk Story programs by helping create bookmarks, posters and displays.

Talk Story: Sharing stories, sharing culture is a literacy program that reaches out to Asian Pacific American (APA) and American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) children and their families. The program celebrates and explores their stories through books, oral traditions and art to provide an interactive, enriching experience. Grants provide financial support to libraries and community organizations who want to introduce a Talk Story program into their library.

Talk Story: Sharing stories, sharing culture is a joint project between the American Indian Library Association (www.ailanet.org) and the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (www.apalaweb.org). It started as part of ALA 2009-2010 President Camila Alire’s Family Literacy Focus Initiative. 2015 is the sixth year that AILA and APALA have partnered on the Talk Story project and allocated grant funding to libraries to implement programs geared towards the APA/AIAN communities. This is the fourth year that Toyota Financial Services has helped to sponsor grants.